<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Scapegoat of Eden by GenericUsername01</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27151975">The Scapegoat of Eden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenericUsername01/pseuds/GenericUsername01'>GenericUsername01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley is Raphael, Demon Aziraphale (Good Omens), Gen, Scene: Garden of Eden (Good Omens), aziraphale is azazel, the arrangement is made in eden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:46:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,594</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27151975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenericUsername01/pseuds/GenericUsername01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“They’re not… defenseless.” The demon shifted uneasily. “If it’s any consolation to you. I gave them my sword.”</p>
<p>“You <i>what?!”</i></p>
<p>“I gave them my sword!” he shouted. “And I lied to God, and I Fell for it, but I don’t care! There are vicious animals! It’s going to be cold out there. And she’s expecting already. And I said, ‘Here you go. Flaming sword. Don’t thank me. And don’t let the sun go down on you here.’”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale &amp; Crowley (Good Omens), could be read as romantic but it's not quite all the way there yet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Scapegoat of Eden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is just a short little scene of my take on what a role reversal would look like :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raphael floated down to Eden in his six-winged serpent form. Warm fire sparked all along him, magical and crackling. He flew into a nearby tree, vanishing the wings and fire as he did, before twining in circles through the branches.</p>
<p>Raphael was a big snake. A snake that had not been created for Earth, but rather for traversing the enormous stretches of space between stars. He was a snake of such size that later humans might more accurately describe him as a wyrm. Or sometimes a wyvern with extra wings.</p>
<p>Eve watched him with curious eyes. Always a thinker, that one. Well. As much as was possible for the humans.</p>
<p>“Hello, Eve. I’m not sure if you remember me, I’m the Archangel Raphael, I was there when you were created,” he said.</p>
<p>“… I don’t think I remember seeing any creatures like you, actually, sorry.”</p>
<p>“Oh! I was human-shaped then. I was the one with the red hair?”</p>
<p>“Oh! Oh, you, I remember you.” Eve nodded.</p>
<p>“Well, anyway, I was just checking in to see how you’re adjusting. Everything going okay? No problems, or questions?”</p>
<p>“Well, I do have a question,” she said. “God told us not to even touch the Tree of Knowledge. So why are you?”</p>
<p>“Ah,” he said. “Rule doesn’t apply to me, does it? It’s just for you two, the humans.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because God is testing you. To see whether you’ll obey or not. But I’m an angel, and the angels already had our test,” he said. “Did God really say that some trees in the Garden were off-limits?”</p>
<p>“Just the one. She said not to eat from it, because in the day that we did, we would certainly die.”</p>
<p>“Oh well that’s a load of rubbish. It’s not poisoned fruit or anything. It’s just your test, to see what you’re really made of. God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”</p>
<p>Eve eyed the fruit in a new light.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Raphael totally had this under control and was not panicking.</p>
<p>He hadn’t thought God would be <em>upset. </em>He bloody well thought the humans were <em>supposed </em>to eat from the tree. Wasn’t that the point?</p>
<p>He had come back down to the Garden and was now frantically scanning the horizon past the gate, searching for two humans who he had maybe somewhat had an indirect hand in dooming.</p>
<p>He didn’t notice the sound of hooves clopping on stone until a giant mountain goat stood beside him. The creature was larger than a true earthly mountain goat, as was typical of demons, standing to about the height of Raphael’s elbow. Once on top of the wall, the demon melted into a human corporation. Fluffy white hair grew curly, both on his scalp and his beard. The horns remained—black and sharp and arching slightly backwards and outwards, about a foot long. The demon’s eyes stayed the unsettling pure inky black for a few moments, before turning slightly more human, with all the appropriate shapes and white sclera, though the irises remained jet black.</p>
<p>The demon’s wings were an ashy, raw mess. Feathers were crisped and singed, missing in places. They were clearly supposed to be white but ended up being mostly a charred gray. Feathers were bent and the skin underneath was exposed and shiny red with burns. It looked painful.</p>
<p>It was at this point that Raphael realized with sickening horror that the demon’s face looked familiar.</p>
<p>“Weren’t you the guard?!” he shrieked.</p>
<p>“Clearly not anymore,” the demon said.</p>
<p>“Who’s protecting the humans then?”</p>
<p>“No one, I should imagine. They’re not Heaven’s concern anymore, now that they’ve sinned.”</p>
<p>“But what if they get hurt? They can’t live out in the desert! They don’t know how! It’s dangerous out there.”</p>
<p>“They’re not… defenseless.” The demon shifted uneasily. “If it’s any consolation to you. I gave them my sword.”</p>
<p>“You <em>what?!”</em></p>
<p>“I gave them my sword!” he shouted. “And I lied to God, and I Fell for it, but I don’t care! There are vicious animals! It’s going to be cold out there. And she’s expecting already. And I said, ‘Here you go. Flaming sword. Don’t thank me. And don’t let the sun go down on you here.’”</p>
<p>Raphael gaped. He stood there, staring at this demon, who was more sincere about protecting humans than half of Heaven, who was willing to sacrifice even his grace for it. He was more brave than Raphael could ever hope to be. More selfless, too.</p>
<p>He had considered Falling. Been on the edge for a while. Pulled back from Lucifer and Satan’s gang at practically the last minute, deciding he could change Heaven from the inside, and do more good work as an angel. That was, ultimately, the reason he had even questioned God’s authority in the first place. He may disagree with Her morals, but he can’t deny Her power. Being an angel is really just more pragmatic.</p>
<p>“Oh! There they are,” the demon said, pointing. Sure enough, Adam and Eve were visible again, far out in the desert. A lion had found them, and Adam was already putting the sword to good use.</p>
<p>“Bit of an overreaction, if you ask me. First offense and everything,” Raphael said. “I can’t see what’s so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway.”</p>
<p>“Well, it must be bad…”</p>
<p>He panicked.</p>
<p>He was <em>not </em>giving away his real name.</p>
<p>“…Crawly,” he said, then cursed himself internally.</p>
<p>The demon’s eyebrows scrunched. “Crawly. Otherwise God wouldn’t have punished them for it.”</p>
<p>“Not very subtle of the Almighty though. Fruit tree in the middle of a garden with a ‘don’t touch’ sign. I mean, why not put it on top of a high mountain? Or on the moon?” he asked. “Makes you wonder what God’s really planning.”</p>
<p>“It’s not for us to know,” he said. “It’s all part of the Great Plan. And She doesn’t seem too keen on sharing that. Not even with Her angels.”</p>
<p>Crawly shook his head. He knew better than to say what he was thinking, though. He had seen what had happened to the ones who questioned God.</p>
<p>“I don’t think I caught your name earlier?”</p>
<p>“Azazel.”</p>
<p>“Azazel,” he said. Hell on the lisp. He’d have to say that one carefully. Or come up with a nickname. Provided he ever spoke to Azazel again, that is.</p>
<p>Rain started to fall, and Azazel instinctively took a step back before realizing the wall was only so wide. He winced as the drops landed on his painfully damaged wings.</p>
<p>“Here,” Crawly said. He held out his hand, palm glowing gold, and Azazel’s wings repaired themselves to full strength. The skin healed, damaged feathers fell away, and new clean white ones grew in their place. An awed look settled on his face. Azazel beat his wings a few times to stretch them.</p>
<p><em>“Thank you,” </em>he said. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Crawly wrinkled his nose. “Don’t do that,” he said. “It’s just what I’m expected to do.”</p>
<p>“No it isn’t,” he said.</p>
<p>They stood in silence together. Rain continued to fall. Adam slayed the lion, and he and Eve embraced. They planted the sword in the ground and appeared to settle in for the night.</p>
<p>“I heard that it was a serpent who tempted them,” Azazel said conversationally.</p>
<p>Crawly choked. “I- Wh—<em>I had nothing to do with that!</em> How would you even—Who told you?!”</p>
<p>Azazel turned to him with wide eyes. “Eve, of course.”</p>
<p>“Look, it wassn’t like that, okay? I didn’t—didn’t <em>tempt </em>them. I wass jussst talking. Eve got the idea all on her own.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry.” He winked. “I won’t tell the archangels.”</p>
<p>Crawly laughed nervously. “Haha, yeah, thankss,” he said. He paused. “I suppose it doesn’t matter though. They’ll find out eventually. <em>Someone</em> had to tempt the humans.”</p>
<p>“Big win for evil,” Azazel mused.</p>
<p>“And it came from one of Heaven’s own.”</p>
<p>“Well, only Eve actually knows that.”</p>
<p>“What are you saying?”</p>
<p>“I’m saying this would be quite a big accomplishment—for a demon. And you certainly don’t want to be credited with it.”</p>
<p>“Of course not.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” he said. “I’m very new to Hell, which is an unenviable position. A deed like this would be a real feather in my wing. <em>And</em> it’d get it out of yours.”</p>
<p>“That’s lying,” Crawly said. “You Fell for lying, you admitted it yourself. If this is a ploy to get me to Fall, it’s a piss poor one.”</p>
<p>“Ah, but I lied to God, and you would only be lying to other angels. Maybe not even that! You could simply present the information in a certain way. I <em>am </em>taking credit for the downfall of man. Isn’t that really all Heaven needs to know?”</p>
<p>A slow grin spread on Crawly’s face. “I think you’ve got yourself a deal, you devil.”</p>
<p>Azazel blushed, and then his face lit up. “I’ll be the scape<em>goat</em> of Eden.”</p>
<p>Crawly groaned loudly. “Oh, you’re going to kill me. What am I going to do with you.” He slung a wing up over Azazel, who started to say something but was quickly cut off by Crawly holding up a finger to stop him. <em>“Don’t</em> say anything, this is just because your wings are freshly healed. It’s for medical purposes only.”</p>
<p>Azazel gave a small smile and blush, but Crawly stalwartly wasn’t looking at him. “Of course, my dear.”</p>
<p>And if Azazel reached out and held his hand later, well, no one was around to see.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>